Conduit construction



y 1951 N. H. SCHULTZ CONDUIT CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 May 1, 1951 N. H. SCHULTZ 2,550,725

CONDUIT CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED :TS'TATES PATENT OFFICE CONDUIT CONSTRUCTION Norman HmSchultuFranklin Park, 111., assignor "to Bell .& .Gossett Company, Morton Grove. IlL, ..acorporation:oflllinois Application September 15, 1945;Seri'al N of 616,486

wise ri'gidlyxattach thetlong edges of the plates to :the :inner surface of .i the pip.e,.'ithus providing separating walls within the pipe. This procedure is obviously? costly in" time: .andimoney .Jandprecludes subsequentiieasy and quick removal of the wall.

.1 ;It :is therefore. one obj ect" of; my invention-to provide a:conduit?constructionhaving a plurality of passages; therethrough' formed by a platezthat issbridged. across the: interior :of. the conduit and is;positively"supported on thexwall' o1. the-conduit byxrmeans c'thatis not: fastenedto" the :conduit wan.

r-A-i further object :is toadevise a 1 conduit constructionrotithe charactertindicated in which the separating plate is frictionally held in position acrossz thet interior' of -the conduit.

zifiiurther objectis to devise an interior. separating *plate 1 structure in which the positioning means thereforprovide. a leak proof connection Withtheinner surface of the conduit and the surfaCBSLT' Df'IthB"1313.138, thus maintaining separation off'thei" liquids? or" gases"'fiowing i on. opposite sides oftthewplate.

These and further 'objectssof the inventionwlill bes set?v forth in: the following-specification, reference being had 1110"- the accompanying drawings, and the novel means by which said objects are efiectuatd will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

. In the-drawings:

:Figi' 1 is an" elevationof a typical heat *exchanger, partly in section; embodying my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a section along 'theline2 2 inFig. 1.

.wi Eig. 3 isdaperspective view of the-positioning strip for. the separating plate.

vFigi iis anelevationof one of the baffles.

'rFigsxfi'isafragmentary section showing'my improved construction modified to provide a gas tight connection. between the outer casing and the separatingrpiate.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8aare transverse: sections, similar tU Fig. 2, showingimodified: arrangements for supporting: the separating: 'platefiithe :tubes being omitted.

.6 Claims. Cl. 138.87)

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Wzdesignates a characteristic type of" heatexchanger which has beenselectedias conveniently exemplirying one'use of f the: improved construction.

1 The exchangercomprises a casing H which is tobe'regarded'generally as a conduit, pipe :or tubewhoseinterioris to be divided into a pluralityofifiowpassages. The left end :of the casing Hzcarries anaa'ttaching flange l2 and adjacent the'opposite'end a: similar. flange I3 .is provided. A. frontheader Hi of usual-construction isbolted touthe flange I 2 and is provided interiorlywitlr a wall l5 which divides the header: into -chambers ltuand H which: are iircommunic'ation, respectively, with pipes lBandiB whichmay'be: inlet andrzoutlet': pipes,:tre'spe'ctive1y, or vice versa, for one of: the liquids: or gases: that: are; to. .betconditiond in the exchanger.

I A front tube ring. 281s clampedxbetweemthe flange I2 and. header. ltand' secured'thereto are the forwardr ends: of upper and lower bankszof tubes I and 22 .'Whi0h communicate with the chambers lfi and 11,. all-respectively. The-opposite" ends ofithei'tube banks are carried by a-rear tube ring 23 which .is flanged at 24' for-support by the adjacent'end of the casing H. The rear ends oft-the: tube balIkSZTCOIIIIIlIJHiCatS with a' common chamber :25 "provided in a characteristic rear header 26 which is bolted to the flange l3. -Sofar a adescribed, theiheat' exchanger is of substantially standardconstruction, one fluid being conditioned entering the exchanger by way of the pipe [9, forwexample, making two traverses of the exchanger byway of the tube banks and leaving thelexchanger through the pipe l8.

The-manner of dividing the interior of the casing: ll intotwo passages, one fo'r-eachtube bank, toinsure separate flow thereover of the otherliliquidbeing-conditioned is an important feature of. the invention. It is achieved by means ofi'a separating-plate 21 whoseedges lengthwise of the casing l l are embraced by a suitably formed strip 28. "Specifically, this strip iscomposedw of ai'material having a resilient characteristic and is bent throughout itslength so that its cross section is substantially that of the letter W, thus forming jaw; pieces 2929 ands-resilientwings 30: extending' therefrom. Priorito insertion of the tube banks within thefcasing ll, theplate 21' is. positionecI-between thexbanks and a strip 28 is located alon each lon'gitudinakedgei of the plate with the j aw'. pieces:'29-'29 in embracing relation-thereto. The assembly 'ofc'tubebanks- 2i and 22, separating plate 21 and strips 28 is then inserted in the casing Iv I the: plate in the particular construction Z 3 shown occupying a diametral position within the casing. The free radial distance of the outer edges of the wings 39 from the center of the plate is greater than the internal diameter of the casing H so that when the foregoing assembly is positioned in the casing as indicated, the wings 30 are sprung inwardly of the casing by contact therewith, thus causing the jaw pieces 29-29 to grip the adjacent edges of the plate 21. The plate is then frictionally supported within the casing by an arrangement which does not require any extraneous means for this purpose, such as bolts, rivets, or welding, and which permits easy Withdrawal of the plate at any time.

The ends of the strips 28 abutthe flanges l2 and 24 and the length of the plate 21 is coextensive with the strips. Where the inner wall of the V The wings are characterized by resiliency and are retracted to permit insertion of the plate within the conduit. When in position, the terminal edges 38 of the wings frictionally engage the conduit wall with a substantially liquid tight contact and maintain the plate 31 in the desired location.

In Fig. '7, the separatin member comprise a pair of Walls 39-39 of identical shape. Each wall casing II, and the surfaces of the plate 21 and strip 28 are smooth, this construction provides, in addition to a positive support for the plate 27, a substantially leak proof connection therebetween and the surface of the casing.

The other liquid being conditionedv in the exchanger may enter at the top through a pipe 3| adjacent the flange l2 and then flows towards the right above 'the plate 2'! until directed downwardly by the tube ring 23 and then towards the left below the plate for discharge through a pipe 32 also positioned adjacent the flange l2, or the indicated flow may be reversed depending upon the conditions of operation. In accordance with the usual practice in such units, the liquid flow through the casing II on opposite'sides of the plate 2! may be caused to pursue a sinuou course to'facilitate heat exchange with the liquid in the tubes by means of baffles 33 which are spaced lengthwiseof the casing I! above and below the plate 21 and are pierced. by the tubes. .As indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, each bafile 33 is shaped to occupy slightly more than a transver e quadrant interiorly of the casing ll above and below the plate 21, the baflle being alternated in position to provide a sinuous path for the liquid. The clearance shown between the edges of the baffles 33 and the surfaces of the plate 21 and the interior surface of the casing I l in Fig. 2 is only that necessary to insure free positioning within the casing.

In Fig. '5 is illustrated a modification of the construction which provides a gas tight connection between the plate 27 and casin ll while retaining the plate supporting capacity of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. Like parts are correspondingly numbered and the gas sealing function is performed by a packing strip 34 which extends lengthwise of the outer surfaces of the jaw pieces 29 and is disposed therebetween and the adjacent surface of the casing ll, and by a second packing strip 35 which is interposed between the longitudinal edge of the plate 21 and the inner surfaces of the jaw pieces 29 and in embracing relation to limited portions of the upper and lower surfaces of the plate 21. The packing strips 34 and 35 are placed under compression during insertion of the plate 2'! and supportingstrips 28 within the casin II to insure that the strips 3 and 35 will sealingly contact the cooperating surfaces. Due to the relatively soft nature of the packing strips 34 and 35 and the fact that the former does not contact the wings 30, the latter are free to exert full frictional contact on the surface of the casing ll. Moreover, the action of the wings 3|! in causinga partial closing of the jaw pieces 29 assists in compressing the-packing strip 35.

;;.In- Figs. 6, 7 and Bare illustrated variations in.

is provided along the edges which are to lie adjacent the conduit wall with resilient V-wings 40 which project from the same side of the wall and which are similar to the wings 31. In operative position, the walls 39 are preferably in abutting relation with the respective pairs of wings extend ing in opposite directions from the walls. As in Fig. 6, the terminal edges 4! of the wings friction ally engage the conduit wall with a substantially liquid tight contact.

The construction shown in Fig. 8 also employs a pair of abutting walls 42-42 and differs from that shown in Fig. 7 in that the resilient wings 43 are simple fiat portions whose terminal edges as engage the conduit wall for the same purposes as the comparable edges in Figs; 6 and '7.

The resilient wings shown in Figs. '6, 7 and 8 may be arranged to provide a gas tight contact with the conduit wall by interposing'packing strips along their respective terminal edges com-' parable to the packing strip 35 in Fig. 5. Instead of placing the walls 39 in Fig. 7' and the walls 42 in'Fig. 8 in abutting relation, re-" spectively, three passages through the conduit" may be provided by simply spacing these walls and interposing between the walls, respectively, stays or spacing members of suitable construction. None of the above constructions restrict the: separating plate .to a diametral position within the conduit. For example, in Fig. 2, by suitably modifying the sectional shape of the strips 28, the plate 21 may be located in any desired chordal position. In such a case, the section of the strip 28 would be non-symmetrical due to the curvature of the conduit wall and the position relation of the plate 2! thereto. Comparable changes for the same purpose can be made in the arrangements shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

I claim? 1. In a conduit, the combination of a plate bridged interiorly thereof for dividing the con. duit into a plurality of passages, jaw pieces engaging the opposite edges of the plate lengthwise of the conduit. and means connected to the jaw pieces and frictionally contacting the wall of the conduit for supporting the plate.

2. In a conduit, the combination of a plate bridged interiorly thereof for dividing the conduit into a plurality of passages, jaw pieces engaging and coextensive with the opposite edges of the plate lengthwise of the conduit, and means coextensive with and connected to the jaw pieces,"

the means frictionally contacting the wall of the conduit for supporting the plate.

3. In a conduit, the combination of a plate bridge interiorly thereof for dividing the conduit into a plurality of passages, resilient jaw'pleces conduit, and jaw pieces actuated by the members ,4

to grippingly engage the opposite edges of the plate lengthwise of the conduit, the wing members being sprung inwardly of the conduit by contact with the wall thereof.

5. In a conduit, the combination of a plate extending across the interior thereof to divide the conduit into a plurality of passages, and means for supporting the plate comprising a strip 00- extensive with and extending along each edge of the plate lengthwise of the conduit, each strip being shaped to form an intermediate groove extending lengthwise thereof which is defined by a pair of connected jaw pieces between which the adjacent edge of the plate is received and a resilient wing member projecting from each jaw piece, the members being sprung inwardly of the conduit by contact therewith to thereby grip the jaw pieces against the strip and frictionally support the latter on the wall of the conduit.

6. In a conduit, the combination of a plate extending across the interior thereof to divide the conduit into a plurality of passages, and means for supporting the plate comprising a strip coextensive with and extending along each edge of the plate lengthwise of the conduit, each strip bein shaped to form an intermediate groove extending lengthwise thereof which is defined by a pair of connected jaw pieces between which the adjacent edge of the plate is received and a resilient wing member projecting from each jaw piece, the members being sprung inwardly of the conduit by contact therewith to thereby grip the jaw pieces against the strip and frictionally support the latter on the wall of the conduit, and packing between the jaw pieces and the adjacent edges of the plate and the conduit wall, respectively.

NORMAN H. SCHULTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,141,067 Lloyd May 25, 1915 2,962,246 Atkinson Nov. 24, 1936 2,091,003 Marshall Aug. 24, 1937 2,292,750 Fields Aug. 11, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22568 Great Britain Oct. 7, 1913 

